Unbelievable

Not exactly the same as saying we have gone backwards 20 years in the space of a couple of months, is it? Besides, off the pitch he is probably right in terms of us being in the shit more than we have been for a long, long while. On the pitch it is quite clear we need heavy investment if we ever want to reach the hights we did just five years ago. We have gone backwards in a staggering way in recent years. Shepherd is partly to blame mainly for some uninspired appointments, Ashley hasn't exactly turned out to be the saviour we craved..

What makes you think that while our first string side is sitting "comfortably" just above the relegation zone? Because, while normally a damn good indicator, the league position of a side who's spent half the year rudderless and in turmoil may not tell the whole story of a teams strength. I think, and would hope many would agree, that we're a better side than 14th. Besides, it's hardly as though that league position was accomplished with our first string side available for all the games. If it was you might have had a point. I still don't see how it could be claimed our current second string would beat that team whilst we are in the league position we are in. Of course we haven't always had our first team out, no team ever does. Injuries can't be used as an excuse (and we haven't even had many by comparison to past seasons) when we've known all summer long we needed to strengthen the squad as well as the first team. In reality, we are a midtable quality squad with one or two players who could perhaps play in the top four teams, just like many of our midtable counterparts. After the disappointing summer transfer window we have had I think it's pretty arrogant to argue we should be anywhere else then where we currently are in the league table.

Whilst all that is undoubtedly true, it's not the way I've taken the thread personally. There have been people saying we've gone back 20 years over the past few months, that it's been the worst period in our recent history (I bet some mongs have even just said "history") despite the fact that we've had loads of injury problems allied to everything else. Yes the Keegan stuff has been the straw which seems to have broken a fair few thousand camel's backs after years of frustration, but as far as the playing squad goes and the infrastructure within the club goes (talking Academy/Reserves/First Team squad here), things aren't as bad as they've been made out to be, despite all the s**** that's gone on outside of that. Hopefully more than anything it's shown people just how much a manager - sometimes any manager - can influence a certain set of players and get them playing above themselves/to the best of their ability. It's not as simple a game as some like to make out, not by a long chalk. I must have missed that.. Any quotes you could point me to?

What makes you think that while our first string side is sitting "comfortably" just above the relegation zone?

Perhaps as way of proper comparison you'd like to post a team from today's squad without 7 first team midfielders and 2 best strikers (Bowyer, Dyer, Emre, Parker, Jenas, Luque, Milner, Shearer, Owen from that squad iirc) I don't think Jenas was there then. Yup, you're right. I edited, but too late. Only 6 injuries in midfield. It is a ridiculous comparison. Our best first team in 2006-2007 would have looked like this: Given Solano Taylor Moore Babayaro Dyer Parker Emre N'Zogbia Martins Owen We would have the following alternatives: Harper, Krul Carr Bramble, Edgar, Ramage Onyewu, Huntington Bernard Duff Butt Milner, Patisson Luque Sibierski, Ameobi Rossi, Carroll Source: http://www.nufc.com/html/2006-07html/app-goals.html That is not a bad squad, and the first team you have selected there was in an extreme injury crisis. In context, as UV says, what team would we be able to field if we would have to do without: Collocini (Taylor was out as well), Jonas, Butt, Barton, Duff, N'Zogbia, Guthrie, Owen and Martins? The defence would be considerably stronger than it was back then, but we wouldn't look thrilling by any means: Given Beye Taylor Bassong Enrique Geremi LuaLua Smith Gonzalez Ameobi Xisco you do it on purpose dont you man, f*** off Heh?

Perhaps as way of proper comparison you'd like to post a team from today's squad without 7 first team midfielders and 2 best strikers (Bowyer, Dyer, Emre, Parker, Jenas, Luque, Milner, Shearer, Owen from that squad iirc) I don't think Jenas was there then. Yup, you're right. I edited, but too late. Only 6 injuries in midfield. It is a ridiculous comparison. Our best first team in 2006-2007 would have looked like this: Given Solano Taylor Moore Babayaro Dyer Parker Emre N'Zogbia Martins Owen We would have the following alternatives: Harper, Krul Carr Bramble, Edgar, Ramage Onyewu, Huntington Bernard Duff Butt Milner, Patisson Luque Sibierski, Ameobi Rossi, Carroll Source: http://www.nufc.com/html/2006-07html/app-goals.html That is not a bad squad, and the first team you have selected there was in an extreme injury crisis. In context, as UV says, what team would we be able to field if we would have to do without: Collocini (Taylor was out as well), Jonas, Butt, Barton, Duff, N'Zogbia, Guthrie, Owen and Martins? The defence would be considerably stronger than it was back then, but we wouldn't look thrilling by any means: Given Beye Taylor Bassong Enrique Geremi LuaLua Smith Gonzalez Ameobi Xisco

why was he amazed if we made an offer? That we shouldn't be, because our owner wants out? f*** him. c***. I'm reading that as we offered them a pittance..

Yes, get in!

Brilliant by Jonas

OBA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Butt wtf

We have to capitalise on our dominance

Wtf!

Butt's gonna take it..

Fucking ref

MARTINS!!!

Should have been a booking

Ridiculous..

reading the first line makes the opposite case to be honest Heh?

I am baffled so many people are saying Almunia was at fault for that. The ball was 40 odd yards out, he was maybe 4 or 5 yards in front of goal and the ball was controlled by Bentley in the air without ever touching the ground. How could he have anticipated what was about to come his way? One second a ball is being headed/chested (?) upwards in the air towards a player who is not even facing goalward and miles away from his goal, the next it is flying over his head at considerable speed and with a strange curve on it..

Brilliantly funny and the absolute truth about what type of player Martins is. Personally, I would rather have him in our team than the opposition's..

We've also lost about 6 players through injury tbh Factamundo Well, that's why you have a squad not just a first team.

You'd have thought if it was PR they'd let us know who it was they wanted the free PR for? How anonymous can a South African group of business men be who are capable of scraping together 350 million pounds and describe their expertise as "discovering the real problem preventing success"? I can't be arsed doing the research, but it should be a piece of cake for any South African journalist worth their salt to discover who is behind this.

That South African deal is no more than free PR by the sounds of it..